


falling

by jonathcrane



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff, Humor, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-08
Updated: 2014-11-08
Packaged: 2018-02-24 14:25:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2584580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jonathcrane/pseuds/jonathcrane
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Don’t do that. Don’t smile like that. You don’t have any idea what it does to my poor heart.</i>
</p><p>(sequel to now i'm all messed up)</p>
            </blockquote>





	falling

It is a perfect afternoon; the weather is chilly but with a scarf wrapped around a neck and hands shoved in the pockets of a warm long coat, no harm can be done. The leaves on the trees lined outside the small bakery shop are swaying softly to the direction of the wind. Kyungsoo likes this weather. It is perfect.  
  
He loves this bakery shop more, though, as he frequents it every weekend. It’s owned by an old friend of his, back in highschool Huang Zitao and him are classmates. It’s a wonder really, when he gets the news of Tao opening a bakery shop, cos _boy_ , that guy does _not_ have the ‘look.’ Then again, Kyungsoo has always known that Tao has a penchant for food, anything sweet really, so he is happy for that guy.  
  
“Kyungsoo ah! I see you!” Said man half-heartedly calls out for him, and Kyungsoo smiles. He is the fourth in the line and honestly, he doesn’t mind the wait. He doesn’t like to get the ‘special treatment’ just because his friend owns this shop, and Tao knows it.  
  
He is too deep in his thoughts – to be honest he doesn’t even know what he’s thinking about – to realize that someone is sneaking up on him and that someone is—  
  
“Kyungsoo-ssi!”  
  
Shit. Damn. It’s Jongin. He knows that voice. He _recognizes_ it.  
  
Slowly, he turns around to face the culprit.  
  
“Hi, Jongin-ssi…”  
  
Jongin looks so good. He’s wearing a light-blue jeans shirt and a pair of black trousers? Jeans? Slacks? Whatever that is, he looks good, ravishing actually. He’s too busy staring at Jongin’s body to notice that the latter is smirking at him.  
  
When he finally looks up to face Jongin, he finally notices the small smirk. He thinks he might be coming down with a fever because his body suddenly feels hot hot hot.  
  
“Hey, are you okay? You don’t look so good.”  
  
 _Yeah, no thanks to you!_ is what Kyungsoo wants to say but he simply nods his head at this gorgeous neighbour of his.  
  
“I’m sorry for sneaking up on you like that,” Jongin says, scratching the back of his head. Kyungsoo wonders if it’s a nervous tick, that whole scratching the back of the head thing, but it’s probably not, so he leaves it at that.  
  
“Yeah no, it’s okay,” he smiles and maybe it’s just pure imagination but he sees Jongin blushing just a tiny bit, but then maybe he’s just warm? Although, the weather right now is not warm at all. It’s chilly.  
  
 _Well, maybe he’s cold? He’s not wearing any scarf **or** a coat. Gosh, such a beautiful idiot. Does he want to catch a cold?_  
  
“So,” Jongin starts, “You always come here?”  
  
Answering in the affirmative, Kyungsoo steps onward when the queue shuffles forward, making him the second in line now, “Mhmm. My friend owns this place. It’s pretty neat, isn’t it?”  
  
Jongin’s eyes are crinkling when he replies an enthusiastic ‘yup!’ Kyungsoo has a feeling that the latter patrons this shop often but if he does, then Kyungsoo never gets to see him here.  
  
“It has a vintage feeling. Most bakeries and coffee shops tend to go for that theme now. It suits the best when the season’s like this.”  
  
A simple nod comes from Kyungsoo again and now it’s his turn to order. Jongin simply smiles and signals for him to continue ordering.  
  
 _Don’t do that. Don’t smile like that. You don’t have any idea what it does to my poor heart._  
  
  
  
  
“I saw Jongin just now at Tao’s bakery,” Kyungsoo says, hanging up his coat and scarf at the coat stand.  
  
Chanyeol, being the lazy ass he is, as usual, props his legs on the coffee table while watching ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2’ from Kyungsoo’s hard drive, a tub of vanilla ice-cream in hand. Kyungsoo scoffs in distaste.  
  
“Why are you like this? Baekhyun broke up with you or something?”  
  
At _this_ , Chanyeol perks up.  
  
“ _What_?”  
  
Kyungsoo sighs, putting the bag of donuts and cupcakes on the small dining table. “I said,” dragging the syllables slowly, “Did Baekhyun break up with you or something?”  
  
The taller man frowns, turning his body around to face Kyungsoo who’s in the kitchen, “Firstly, uh, we never dated in the first place. Secondly, why _Baekhyun_?”  
  
“Well, you’re comfortable with Baekhyun, no?” Hands on hips, his favourite no nonsense posture.  
  
His housemate adamantly shakes his head. Kyungsoo thinks he resembles a puppy for real now.  
  
“I mean, yeah, I’m kind of close with Baek, I think? But it’s only cos we both like most of the same things; like pranking _you_.”  
  
Kyungsoo gives him the infamous ‘really’ look, then promptly starts to unpack the confectionaries to place them on the plates. “Hm, that’s funny. I thought you and him are a thing.”  
  
“Uh no we’re not. That’s really weird of you to say actually. He’s not my type. Nope. Definitely not,” and goes back to watching the film, leaving Kyungsoo alone with his thoughts.  
  
  
  
  
 _This must be fate_ , Kyungsoo thinks as he sees Jongin heading towards the dumpster at their backyard, _Why else must he be here, throwing rubbish at the same time as I do?_  
  
“Oh, hello, neighbour!” _Play it cool, Soo, **play it cool**_.  
  
Jongin looks up, smiles that adorable smile of his and greets him, “Hello, _neighbour_.” He chuckles.  
  
Kyungsoo thinks he must be dead, right, and this gorgeous man in front of him who’s wearing only a white (quite transparent) t-shirt and black jeans is his angel. It’s quite a nasty place to be in heaven though cos they’re surrounded with rubbish but it’s fine, everything’s fine when there is Jongin.  
  
“Kyungsoo-ssi? Are you alright?”  
  
 _Whoa_.  
  
Jongin is standing a little bit too close for comfort and Kyungsoo thinks he actually might faint this time around, like for real. He can feel the other’s _breath_ on his face right now and it’s official, Kyungsoo is a goner.  
  
“Yeah yeah, I’m fine,” he forces out a chuckle just to mask the uncomfortableness that is surrounding them both right now. Thankfully (or not), Jongin nods and steps away from Kyungsoo’s personal space.  
  
“It seems like you’re always about to faint when I see you. You might want to see a doctor for that?” The latter says while throwing a big black plastic bag into one of the dumpsters.  
  
“Uh, I don’t know. It’s nothing serious I bet…” _Just that you’re too gorgeous for me to handle, you fucktard!_  
  
“If you say so, Kyungsoo-ssi,” Jongin replies.  
  
The air is filling with awkwardness, both of them just standing there, facing each other, not knowing what to do or say.  
  
“Well... Mind accompanying me back to our respective apartments?” Says Jongin, hand outstretched forward, signaling Kyungsoo to walk first.  
  
“You’re such a gentleman,” Kyungsoo snickers because the situation is just too ridiculous.  
  
“Well,” Jongin beams, “Gentleman’s my middle name.”  
  
And they both laugh out loud at that.  
  
  
  
  
Chanyeol has persuaded Kyungsoo to go out today because, quoting the taller man, “I’m fucking bored Kyungsoo!”  
  
Hence, that is why they are now arm in arm, just walking around the city of Seoul, practically just window shopping because… Because it’s fun.  
  
Chanyeol stops in front of a newspaper stand, pulling his arm from Kyungsoo’s to take the Seoul Shinmun newspaper. The owner probably doesn’t allow people to simply read newspapers without buying them first, but since no one has said anything, Kyungsoo sees Chanyeol flipping the pages even more eagerly.  
  
Bored, Kyungsoo decides to look over the magazine section and when one catches his eyes, he slowly picks it up to read. He’s honestly only skimming the pages cos the contents aren’t as interesting as the cover is – yes, he knows, don’t judge a book (or a magazine) by its cover – when a picture of a certain someone grabs his attention.  
  
Kyungsoo is trying hard – he is trying so hard – to not scream in public but it’s hard not to when a picture of Jongin, his neighbour, his totally gorgeous neighbour, is grazing the page of this freaking magazine!  
  
Shocked, Kyungsoo reaches for Chanyeol and slaps the latter’s arm numerous times and only stops doing so when the man screams in pain.  
  
“Fuck, Soo! What the hell?” Chanyeol shouts but sends an apologetic look to all the passerby that are giving them both dirty glances.  
  
Kyungsoo gapes, eyes so wide he feels like they’re bulging out of his eye sockets, little fist grabbing on too tight on Chanyeol long coat. He shoves the page in Chanyeol's face where Jongin is looking sultrily – at the camera – with his hair mussed up, resembling bed hair, one hand lifting up the hem of his black – thin, _very_ , _very_ thin – shirt (and thus showing off those glorious abs of his oh God) and the other sifting through his light brown hair.  
  
“ _Fuck_ ,” is all Chanyeol can muster as his eyes scan the picture in disbelief.  
  
“I. Know. Right. Oh my God, Chanyeol! He’s a _fucking model_? Oh my god. Oh. My. God!!!”  
  
Chanyeol hurriedly clamps his big hand over Kyungsoo’s mouth as to contain the scream, all the while grinning sheepishly at more annoyed passerby. Calmly, he bends down to whisper at Kyungsoo’s ear, “We’re gonna put back the magazine where it belongs, and then we’re gonna calmly walk away from this place, okay? Got it, baby?”  
  
Chanyeol doesn’t miss the glare Kyungsoo sends him at the mention of the word baby – God he hates that pet name more than anything in this world! – so he takes Kyungsoo’s hand in his and they walk away from the newspaper stand to probably go to the nearby park or something.  
  
  
  
  
The next time Kyungsoo meets Jongin is when Kyungsoo is about to enter his apartment and when Jongin is about to come out of his on a Monday. It’s awkward, really, but Kyungsoo decides not to dwell on it so much as he merely throws a small smile at the tanned-skin man and proceeds to unlock the door to his apartment. Before he has a chance to step in, though, he listens rather than feels Jongin’s hand clasping over his wrist, preventing him from moving further.  
  
Sighing, Kyungsoo is on the verge of saying something but Jongin beats him to it.  
  
“Is everything okay between the two of us? Cos I feel like you’re hiding something from me and,” Kyungsoo hears the sigh escaping from Jongin, “And I don’t know what I did to make you upset or mad or… Ugh, I don’t even know, Soo-ssi, so please, _please_ , can you just tell me what’s–”  
  
“Kyungsoo?”  
  
Kyungsoo whips his head around so fast he feels dizzy for a second, squinting at the man – it’s Chanyeol, who else – and grins at him. Jongin, surprised of the sudden appearance of Chanyeol, quickly lets go of his wrist and clears his throat.  
  
Kyungsoo doesn’t want to admit it because it feels so cliched but he misses the feel of Jongin’s skin on his.  
  
“Yeah? What’s up?” Kyungsoo says, facing Chanyeol fully now, with Jongin behind him.  
  
“Is… Um, is everything okay…?” Chanyeol looks at Kyungsoo first, and then Jongin. “Am I interrupting something?”  
  
“No!” Jongin adds hastily, and Kyungsoo notes that the answer comes just a bit too fast and sounds just a bit panicky. Weird.  
  
“No, I’m so sorry for touching your boyfriend like that, Chanyeol-ssi. I was just trying– uh, nevermind, just forget about it. Kyungsoo-ssi, I’m sorry for disturbing you so suddenly. I’ll go now. Have a good morning.” The man bows down quickly to both Chanyeol and Kyungsoo and leaves the venue rather eagerly.  
  
When the sound of the apartment entry door snaps shut, Chanyeol pipes in, “What’s gotten up that guy’s ass?”  
  
Rolling his eyes, Kyungsoo smacks Chanyeol’s chest playfully before entering the house with the taller man in tow.  
  
  
  
  
“Do you notice Jongin calling you my boyfriend? Why did he say that?”  
  
Kyungsoo doesn’t want to talk about that topic in all honesty, but since Chanyeol has brought it up, he might as well discuss the matter with this ‘boyfriend’ of his.  
  
“I don’t know? Well, you know that night with the smoke alarm thing and all? Well, I told him that usually you’re the one who switched that goddamn thing off cos you’re tall, and then he was like yeah okay bla bla bla, and then I got that text message from you, right?” Chanyeol nods, and continues to eat the Chinese takeaway noodles, allowing Kyungsoo to go on with the story.  
  
“Well, he noticed it and asked if you’re the one who sent me the text, and I said yes, then you called, and then we fought, you remember that, I suppose cos _I_ remember it in full detail, you bastard, and then after I hung up, he asked slash stated, ‘boyfriend troubles huh?’ but then I was too preoccupied with massaging my aching temples to deny the accusation. So there.”  
  
Feeling quite thirsty now, he snatches Chanyeol’s banana shake drink and gulps it down like a beast. Storytelling is exhausting.  
  
“Hm. So, since you didn’t deny anything, Jongin thought that we’re both together? Like an item, huh. That’s so cute. I bet he’s secretly shipping us or something,” Chanyeol giggles like a 15 year old school girl. The mental image is disturbing so Kyungsoo stops thinking altogether.  
  
“Shipping us to where?” He slyly steals Chanyeol’s chopsticks to twirl them around spicy noodles in the takeout box.  
  
Chanyeol snorts then, “Gosh, you’re so naive. And so _old_. Go browse the internet, you cute idiot!”  
  
Kyungsoo sends him a menacing glare, effectively shutting the tall man up. He grins joyfully and slurps the noodles in one take, causing Chanyeol to make a disgusted face.  
  
“What? You disgust me all the time and you never see me looking at you in disdain!”  
  
At that, Chanyeol coos and carries on to ruffle his soft black hair, trying to smooch Kyungsoo all over his face in a sick attempt to entice him, whatever that means. Kyungsoo is struggling to block away the kisses, all along laughing like a maniac because it’s _ticklish oh God Chanyeol’s **tickling** him_ and he can’t– he can’t!  
  
“OKAY! OKAY I ADMIT DEFEAT! OH GOD CHANYEOL STOP IT OH MY GOD STOP!”  
  
The remainder of the night, they spend it by cleaning up the mess that is the living room, what with the noodles spilled all over the carpet, takeout boxes lying opened on the table and banana shake dripping from the coffee table onto the carpet.  
  
He knows that Chanyeol is secretly waiting for him to blow up with anger because it is a terrible mess, but honestly, it is also one of the best nights he has ever experienced with Chanyeol, so he keeps his temper in check and only asks his housemate to clean up with him as well.  
  
As usual, an eager-to-please Chanyeol comes bounding up to him with a bucket half-full of water and damp cloth in his hands.  
  
Kyungsoo can’t find it in him to be angry at that.  
  
  
  
  
The town library is probably the second most favourite place for Kyungsoo to hang out at. Mind you, his definition of ‘hanging out’ differs from the rest of 24 year olds’ in the world. It’s just that, he never finds attraction in crowded places like night clubs or bars or even the night market! Whenever Chanyeol begs him to go together to night markets, he will always refuse, casually backtracking into his room and locking the door shut so that the giraffe can’t barge in like an uncivilized person.  
  
So yeah, in a nutshell, Kyungsoo hates crowded places. He’d rather stay in a quiet, peaceful place like the library because no one really frequents the library, save for a couple of horny teenagers who think that no one will catch them making out among the bookshelves. Gosh, what it takes to be young again.  
  
“Technically, you _are_ still young.”  
  
“Omg!”  
  
There, in all his glory, stands Jongin, looking a bit sheepish. Well, he deserves to be sheepish.  
  
Rubbing his hand on his chest, he mumbles, “Is sneaking up on people a hobby of yours, gosh!”  
  
Jongin bites down on his (plump) lip and gestures for the empty seat next to him. He nods, allowing Jongin to seat himself there. Kyungsoo is mustering up the courage to say something because it’s starting to feel awkward, the muffled sounds of the kids kissing at the back adding in to the mix is not helping things.  
  
“What are you doing here? Finally not busy modelling?”  
  
It comes out sounding more snappish than he means it to.  
  
“Huh. So you figured out about that?”  
  
Kyungsoo quietly watches Jongin leafing through one of the novels he’s picked before coming to sit here. It’s a romance novel. An English one. Kyungsoo is almost sure Jongin doesn’t know what’s written in it but it’s okay, it’s adorable watching him pretend to read the lines.  
  
“I saw one of your pictures in a local magazine. I was, um, what’s the word, _shocked_ to see you there.”  
  
“I’m not there.”  
  
Scoffing, Kyungsoo replies, “Of course you’re not there. I’m not an idiot.”  
  
“Never said you were.”  
  
“Well you were implying it!”  
  
“I wasn’t!”  
  
“You were!”  
  
“Wasn’t!”  
  
“Were!”  
  
“It’ll be good if you both can shut up now. The library’s a quiet place, not a place for loud debates. Just to let you know,” the librarian snaps, standing with hip cocked to the side and a glare on her perpetual angry face.  
  
Jongin has half a mind to cower, stammering out an apology but Kyungsoo is too prideful to apologize. Instead, he points to the back, where the kids are _still_ making out – oh wait no, they’re doing something else now ewww – and mentally asks the librarian to go give them a mouthful. With her angry face, she storms to the back, the loud sounds alerting the kids as they hurry to probably wear their clothes again.  
  
“Just for the record, I didn’t _imply_ anything, okay?”  
  
“Shut up. You’re scared of the librarian, it’s almost cute if you didn’t call me an idiot just now.”  
  
Jongin sputters to retort, but Kyungsoo is not having it. “Just shut it. Wait, why am I even being harsh with you? It’s so not me.”  
  
The other man nods keenly, “I thought you weren’t the same person, you know!”  
  
He snorts, “I’m always like this. If you don’t believe me, ask Chanyeol. You’re just lucky cos you’re handsome and I have a cru–” He snaps his mouth shut.  
  
 _Fuck! Oh God! I almost spilled out my secret oh God!_  
  
Kyungsoo almost wants to pretend that he’s saying something else, but with the way Jongin is looking at him right now, he’s 100% sure that the other won’t let him off the hook that easily.  
  
“What did you just say?”  
  
Kyungsoo shuts his eyes, wishing incessantly in his head to disappear from the face of the earth, but as luck would have it, he’s still sitting here next to a curious looking Jongin. A curious looking Jongin is also equal to a very adorable Jongin. And Kyungsoo wants to die, yet again.  
  
“I said I have a crutch at home which I will use it if you decide to annoy me again,” he smoothly says. There, it’s not that hard.  
  
The other is looking at him with squinted eyes, and dammit, how can he _still_ look cute like that?  
  
“I don’t believe you. You said I’m handsome and that you have…?” Jongin is looking at him expectantly. It’s funny because Kyungsoo thinks that Jongin seems to want him saying that he has a crush on the latter.  
  
 _Huh. This is starting to get interesting._  
  
“What? I said I have a crutch at home. C-R-U-T– mmfff!”  
  
Kyungsoo is left bewildered, eyes opened as big as an owl’s, and heart-shaped lips glistening with Jongin’s saliva.  
  
“What. the. fuck.”  
  
“I’m so sorry! You look so cute just now– I mean not _just_ just now but you’ve always looked cute but then oh God, I didn’t know what got into me–”  
  
“Just stop talking.”  
  
“I’m so, so, so sorry I know you have a boyfriend and to be honest I’ve always liked you, the first time you moved in into the apartment, I’ve liked you since then but then I should’ve known you have a boyfriend and–”  
  
“I said stop talking.”  
  
Jongin stops abruptly. He’s looking at Kyungsoo with a cute puppy look on his face and it’s not fair, really, because who kisses another person all of a sudden like that and then makes a cute pitiful face? He knows it happens in most Korean dramas and it’s so distasteful to be honest, but if someone has somehow told him that he’ll live that fantasy tonight at an almost deserted town library with his crush since forever ago, and now listening to him ramble on and on about how he also has a crush on Kyungsoo, he will never ever believe that person.  
  
But lo’ and behold, here he is.  
  
Kyungsoo decides to set the record straight on some things because Jongin is in the dark about most things relating to Kyungsoo and that won’t do.  
  
“First off, Chanyeol is not my boyfriend,” he starts, expecting Jongin to say something, but what he gets is just a gaped mouth.  
  
“Jongin, would you like to add anything?” He figures they're so past the formal affix now.  
  
Said man breaks his stare from Kyungsoo to stare at the wall adjacent to where they’re sitting at, swallows calmly and blinks several times. It’s as though something has gotten into his eyes. Kyungsoo wants to help by blowing the ‘dust’ away but they’re close enough as it is; they have just shared a _kiss_ and yeah, it’s a good idea to not be any nearer to each other.  
  
“You’re saying that… I actually stand a chance to be with you all this frigging time?”  
  
“Yeah,” is all Kyungsoo says. In actuality, Kyungsoo is striving to not let the other man listen to his suddenly rapid heartbeats.  
  
“Huh. What a surprise.”  
  
“I guess…”  
  
“Why didn’t you deny it when I said that Chanyeol’s your boyfriend? Do you– oh no, you _like_ him don’t you?”  
  
Kyungsoo is horrified. More than horrified. “Gosh, no! Never in a million years would I like him more than a friend! It’s just that we’ve been best friends since we were in college and I can never see him as more than a brother. It’s pretty cliche, but it’s true. Trust me.”  
  
Jongin nods, “But wait…”  
  
Kyungsoo signals for him to continue.  
  
“Does _he_ have a crush on _you_?”  
  
Snorting, he answers, “What are we? 15 year olds? Why do we use the word ‘crush’? It’s so weird. And no, he doesn’t. Again, trust me. We both can’t see each other like that.”  
  
“But he calls you baby a lot.”  
  
“How do you even know that? Do you stalk me or something?”  
  
“... No.”  
  
“Jongin…?”  
  
“... No! No, okay. I don’t ‘stalk’ people, gosh. You make me sound so creepy and I don’t like it.”  
  
“Well, okay. If you say so. Hm, second off, I do have a cru– ugh no, I do like you. It’s been what, five, six months now? But since I knew you’re a model, I don’t think I have a chance at all with you, and that somehow dampens my mood lately. That’s why I rarely ever smile at you.”  
  
“Ah,” Jongin says, hands busy with arranging the novels scattered on the table into neat stacks, “I’m a low-key model. I just model for the local magazines, nothing too grand. It’s not like I’m a Burberry model. Tch.”  
  
“You could be…” Kyungsoo adds under his breath, hoping that Jongin won’t catch it.  
  
He’s been caught again, it seems, as Jongin sends a bashful smile his way. He finds himself smiling back.  
  
“It’s really rude of you to kiss me like that out of nowhere, you know. I _was_ in the middle of talking.”  
  
There it goes again, the scratching the back of head thing again. Kyungsoo thinks it’s really a nervous tick after all.  
  
“I’m sorry. I don’t know how to make it right anymore. Haih.”  
  
“You could…” Kyungsoo teases.  
  
Jongin straightens up in his seat, eagerly anticipating what Kyungsoo will say next.  
  
“You could take me out on a date some other time?”  
  
This time around, Jongin is the one looking like he’s about to faint, but no matter, the next time both of them feel like fainting, they have each other to count on.  
  
  
  
  
“You realize we will have to tell Chanyeol about… about us dating, right?”  
  
Kyungsoo’s eyes widen at the realization and suddenly, he doesn’t feel like going home tonight.

**Author's Note:**

> Whew. Wow. It's finally done. After much procrastination lol, this sequel is finally done! I hope you guys are happy with it, although I bet there are many spelling and grammar errors ugh. I've checked it several times but perhaps my tired eyes wouldn't be able to catch any more mistake, but if you do, please comment so that I can fix it. Thank you! Thank you for reading and I hope it isn't too boring huhu. This is it then~ Bye!


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